Amnesty International’s 293 page report, ‘You feel like you are subhuman’ (5 December) stands as the first devastating indictment of Israel’s genocide of the people of Gaza since last January, when the International Court of Justice deemed genocide ‘plausible’ and applied legally binding orders concerning Israel’s conduct (which were ignored). Page by agonising page, Amnesty chronicles the disproportionate actions and language of Israeli leaders, soldiers and others that, in its view, clearly demonstrate intent to destroy Gaza and its people.
Two years ago, Amnesty published its report, ‘Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians’, another forensically detailed analysis of Israel as occupying power. Between the two reports stand first, the ICJ’s preliminary hearing of South Africa’s charge of genocide against Israel (referred to above), and secondly, its Advisory Opinion on ‘The Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem’, of 19 July 2024.
It is in the light of Amnesty’s report that the words parroted by senior politicians of the three principal political parties that ‘Israel has a right to defend itself’ sound so hollow, particularly since it is difficult to think of a single occasion when any senior British politician (pace Corbyn) over the past 57 years of illegal and repressive occupation, has stated that the Palestinians have a right to defend themselves. We should admit our shame and that our conceit that ‘Brits love the underdog’ is a sham. For 57 years the UK (like almost everyone else) has ducked its legal obligation under Common Article 1 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions ‘to respect and ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances’, meaning when you see another Party to the Convention violating it, you have a clear obligation to do what you can to bring it back into compliance.
It is difficult to exaggerate the undermining effect this failure has had on the international order to which, when it suits us, we pay lip service. But it reflects a terrible moral weakness which in this circumstance does a serious disservice not only, obviously, to the Palestinian people but perhaps an even more profound disservice to the people of Israel. We deceive ourselves if we deny that in certain circumstances all societies are capable of terrible deeds and in extremis, we need the restraint of others to bring us to our senses. In this regard we have undoubtedly failed in our duty to Israel. Amnesty’s report, and indeed what it has itself done in Gaza, is an almost limitless calamity for Israel too.
I therefore want the party leadership to assert the requirements of international law, for example to demand of our government,
(1) that since it risks the charge of complicity in genocide, it immediately ceases all war materièl and other assistance to Israel for the time being;
(2) that it insists on increased humanitarian aid including a joint international plan to redeem the Gaza Strip;
(3) that it requires Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza forthwith;
(4) that it reverses its abstention from the UN General Assembly vote on 18 September to support implementation of the ICJ Advisory Opinion; and finally
(5) that it assures both protagonists, Israel and Palestine, that the fulfilment of their longing for security and sovereignty can only be achieved by adherence to the requirements of international law.
* David joined the Party in 2019. He worked for UNRWA in the 1970s, was an Oxfam relief worker during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon 1982; is the author of Palestine and Israel: The Uprising and Beyond (IBTauris & University of California Press, 1989) and A Modern History of the Kurds (IBTauris, 4th edn, 2022).
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12 Comments
David’s excellent article summarises the appalling mess Israel has got into under Netanyahu, the failures of governments like ours to rescue it from madness, and the terrible consequences for the Palestinian people. I can only add that his proposals for action could go further.
We should immediately sanction all trade with Israel itself, and look to our European allies to follow suit. Together with indictments from the world’s top courts and now from Amnesty International, this would bring down the Israeli government and free the Israeli people from the tyranny of a group of crazed politicians who think imposing lasting fear on their neighbours with displays of military power can define the future of their nation. It is not too late to draw back from that, but we need David ‘I see no Genocide’ Lammy to recognise his responsibility as Foreign Secretary, and MPs of all parties should be telling him to do that, and start holding the telescope up to his good eye.
A difficult read. It challenges us to make sure that the Palestinian people are treated according to international law. Lib Dems will need to stand up and be counted.
Those Western liberal values we hear so much about in regards to Ukraine’s fight against Russia, evaparate when it’s comes to the middle east ..The hypocrisy is that thick you can cut it . Thousands of children’s graves in Gaza is testament to that. The Israeli government will continue to do whatever it likes with he tacit agreement of Western nations – with it’s the continued supply of arms and trade …From the EU parliament being draped in an Israeli flag and it’s president declaring it’s support , to the Whitehouse giving – as it always does unending backing – Western liberal democracies have been complicit in the Genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza …
To quote Ian Hislop, if Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza, then I’m a banana.
We must expose Israel’s appalling actions since 1948 that directly drove Hamas to their massacre (which is equally appalling).
It would be nice if the LibDems lived up to the fine words in the Preamble to the Party’s constitution and promoted the fundamental human rights of Palestinians, recognising the ethnic cleansing that has taken place since 1948 and now blatant acts of genocide in an accelerating programme of (US) Christian Zionist -sponsored ethnic cleansing. (Christian Zionists believe in End-of-Times theology that says that Jesus Christ will return when people of the Jewish religion again occupy ancient Zion / Greater Israel). Believe it!! (They do).
This article makes the case that many (if not most?) Lib Dem members would like our party to be making loudly at this distressing time. Have we become so afraid of being falsely labelled ‘antisemitic’ that we feel compelled to keep silent? McDowall makes a crucial point that silence and inaction are not just letting down the Palestinian people. They are letting down the people of Israel, among whom are fellow liberals crying out for the global community’s support right now.
“silence and inaction are not just letting down the Palestinian people. They are letting down the people of Israel, among whom are fellow liberals crying out for the global community’s support right now.”
Seconded
Another highly detailed genocide verdict, also dated 5 December, this time an individual exercise by a very courageous Israeli historian, Lee Mordechai, an honourable man who must be enduring terrible pain in facing the truth:
https://witnessing-the-gaza-war.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bearing-witness-to-the-Israel-Gaza-War-v6.5.5-5.12.24.pdf
Thank you David for your strong but very reasoned words about Israel’s actions and thank you John Hall for your mention of the Christian Zionists. Munther Isaac, of Bethlehem Bible College, in his book “The other side of the Wall” (published in 2020 by IVP) says Christian Zionism is based on wrong theology and a gross misunderstanding of scripture. He visited the UK in January this year and I saw him speak at Bloomsbury Baptist Church, London in which he categorically described Israel’s action as genocide. He does, of course, acknowledge Israel’s right to exist.
I must add that N.T Wright an internationally recognised bible scholar and former Bishop of Durham also recently on a You Tube interview, dismissed that Christian Zionist view as not found in the bible.
We now live in a strange world where denial seems to be the default behaviour. I don’t care if it is labelled genocide, apartheid, or war crimes, what Israel is doing Gaza is very clearly inhumane and beyond any possible definition of ‘defence’. The UK should not be complicit. Well written article, I wholeheartedly agree.
The history books will undoubtedly see this as a dark chapter in the western democracies story. Democracy might be the least bad form of government but for it to be legitimate it must understand its failings and act to minimise them. It is sad that it takes an international organisation to compile a report that echoes what most leaders of the western world must have known for years.
More power to David’s pen as he has bluntly
exposed the Israeli regime’s ghastly actions
and the complicity of so many of its allies. I am writing from Delhi where the regime here is also
a supporter of Netanyahu.
As a former Amnesty International Researcher, I am disappointed that it has taken far too long to bring
out this report.